Joey Blaze vs. Magoma Dibirgadzhiev
A 74 kg Showdown That Lit Up the Mat
On July 21, 2025, the USA vs. Russia freestyle wrestling dual meet in Budapest delivered a clash at 74 kg: Joey Blaze (USA) vs. Magoma Dibirgadzhiev (RUS). It was a battle between two rising stars—Blaze, the young American phenom with a relentless motor, and Dibirgadzhiev, Russia’s technical tactician with ice in his veins.
Official result
Place in the dual
The USA–Russia dual took place at PWL 9 in Budapest on July 21, 2025. Russia won six individual bouts, while the United States won four. After falling behind 5–0, the American team answered with four consecutive wins, making the final 125 kg matchup decisive. Russia won that bout and finished with a 6–4 team result.
For Blaze and Dibirgadzhiev, the verified facts are the 74 kg pairing and Dibirgadzhiev’s 8–4 win. The team context helps explain why the result mattered beyond the individual bout: it gave Russia another point in the opening stretch and contributed to the eventual dual victory. USA Wrestling’s official results and recap document both the pairing and final team score. The dual format also meant every weight class contributed to the event total.
Dibirgadzhiev’s 8–4 win came at 74 kg, the fifth bout of the ten-match dual. Russia had won every bout to that point, so his result made the team score 5–0. The event format gives the team one win for each bout won; the 8–4 score belongs only to this matchup. Dibirgadzhiev’s victory was a decision, rather than a fall or technical fall.
The dual’s direction changed after the 74 kg bout. Hamiti scored the first American victory at 79 kg, and the United States then won three more consecutive matches at 86, 92 and 97 kg. That comeback reduced Russia’s margin to one bout before the heavyweight finale. The final 6–4 score shows how close the team contest became after the early Russian sweep.
Sources
Tags: Wrestling, Combat Sports
